It was the spring of 2003 and I had just graduated from college a few months earlier. Along with several college buddies, we loaded up in a van and made the long road trip from the Carolinas to Texas so that we could attend Passion’s big OneDay event.
Apart from the scary thunderstorms, Shane & Shane’s music, and John Piper’s message, there isn’t a lot I remember from that 3 day experience in the open fields of Texas. But one very clear memory is the watchtower in the center from which the Bible was read out loud non-stop. College students read continuously from the Word of God over the loud speaker. It had a significant impact on my young 23 year old self then, and it continues to be a life-shaping memory in my life now.
Fast-forward 20 years later to today, and I still find myself thinking deeply about the public reading of Scripture.
All throughout history the public reading of Scripture has been practiced and valued by God’s people. We see this throughout the Bible – in the Old Testament and the New Testament.
Moses on Mount Sinai. Ezra in Jerusalem after the walls are re-built. In the Gospels, Jesus reads from the Prophets. In the book of Acts, Paul and his companions read in the synagogues. In the book of Revelation, we read this “Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it”. (Rev. 1:3)
And then we have in 1st Timothy 4, Paul’s encouragement to Timothy to “devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture.”
All throughout history and all throughout the Bible, we see the Word of God being read publicly.
So where has that gone?
Even in churches now, so little Bible is read.
When was the last time you heard an entire chapter of Scripture read out loud? When was the last time you heard a large chunk of Scripture read? When was the last time you focused in just to listen to longer portions of Scripture being read out loud?
What a massive swing and a miss it is for ministers to be leading church services without the public reading of Scripture.
What an added blessing it would be to all worship services if the public reading of good-size-portions of Scripture were included. May we honor God and His Word in this way. May we obey the Bible in this way. May we be faithful to follow the Scriptures in this way. May we lead our churches in this way.
The Word of God is true and it is alive! May we value it. In our churches and in our teaching settings, may we value the Word of God. And may our valuing of the Word of God be evident and obvious by our public readings!